Newburgh - On Fri., February 5th and Sat., February 6, 2010, students from Heritage Junior High School in New Windsor sang, danced, and gossiped their way into Disney’s High School Musical Junior. The 41 member-cast, consisting of a combination of 7th, 8th, and 9th graders, has been rehearsing since November. At a recent rehearsal just days before the performances Heritage Junior High School’s Allison Hightower, a music teacher at the school for the past seven years, shared her excitement for the upcoming shows, "I chose the play because it was a good opportunity to get a large group of students involved. It’s a fun, age appropriate show for everyone."
The performances, which featured large choreographed dance numbers, proved to be a work in progress as the rehearsals went along. "It was difficult because of our limited space," explained Hightower. "The students have had to overcome so many obstacles with this show, and have still come out on top! Their hard work and dedication is really mind boggling. I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive group of kids and parents."
Hightower also thanked Musical Director Herb Lamb for his dedication to the show and students. "He’s been my right-hand man throughout the whole process and I couldn’t have done it without him," explained Hightower.
Other performances that Heritage Junior High School has done over the past several years include Godspell Junior, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Into the Woods Junior, Annie Junior, Bye Bye Birdie and The Wizard of Oz.